Opera New Jersey's dramatic double bill: "The Consul" and "The Family Room"

Jeff ReederAudrey Babcock as The Secretary and Lina Tetriani as Magda Sorel in "The Consul."

Two operatic dramas made a fascinating pair at the McCarter Theatre on Saturday, as each offered an entirely different portrayal of the despair that comes from interminable waiting amidst dangerously oppressive living conditions.

Gian Carlo Menotti’s “The Consul,” premiered in 1950 with the composer as librettist, takes place in an Eastern European country where secret police threaten the lives of freedom fighter John Sorel and his family. His wife, Magda hopes to obtain a visa so that they can leave the country but is met with endless paperwork when she tries to meet with the Consul.

It’s a heavy-handed opera studded with melodrama touchstones—death of a child, death of a mother, a lifesaving phone call that comes an instant too late. Magda describes her eyes as “the color of tears.” Musically, it abounds with gushy sentimentality and never quite seems as suspenseful or shocking as it should.

But Opera New Jersey had the audience on its feet for a roaring and richly deserved standing ovation. As Magda, soprano Lina Tetriani gave a devastating performance. She immersed herself fully in the opera’s tragedy and was simply riveting. The edge, power and dark timbre of her voice contrasted her slight stature, seeming to reflect her character’s strong will despite her vulnerability.

Balance problems have not been uncommon at the Matthews Theatre and the Act I trio was a little orchestra-heavy. But overall, Joel Revzen led the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra in a blistering performance.

Director Michael Unger culled nuanced acting from the cast, including veteran mezzo-soprano Joyce Castle as The Mother, baritone Nicholas Pallesen as John Sorel and bass Matt Boehler as the Secret Police Agent.

Imperious but not heartless as The Secretary, Audrey Babcock stood out with a radiant mezzo-soprano and a fittingly tart sense of humor. Tenor Jason Ferrante also added a dose of charm as the magician Nika Magadoff.

“My name is woman,” Magda Sorel says in Gian Carlo Menotti’s opera “The Consul.”
In “The Family Room,” composed by Thomas Pasatieri with a libretto by Daphne Malfitano, the two main characters are billed only as Woman 1 and Woman 2. Their identities are even more erased those of Magda and her family as they too face brutal cold and imminent death.

“The Family Room” has its own sensational premise that can be traced to real events. Its protagonists have been trapped in a windowless basement room, afraid—or maybe unable—to leave their captor.

The opera’s private staged reading at the McCarter Theatre’s Berlind Theatre was the first collaboration between Opera New Jersey and American Opera Projects. The show opens this weekend and offered much to recommend it.

Written for and sung compellingly by renowned sopranos Catherine Malfitano and Lauren Flanigan, the story’s central women are vividly, distinctly drawn, with relatable desires expressed eloquently in both words and music. The opera has many elements of mystery and room for audience interpretation.

But, while trying not to give too much away, part of what makes “The Family Room” so intriguing is that desperation breeds creativity. As the women imagine future plans and share their memories, intoxicating melodies lull the characters and the listeners.

Just as the soothing music begins to cast its spell, the women’s fates seem to grow more dismal, with urgent dissonant chords in jittery rhythms smashing their reveries. Pasatieri’s vocal writing is impeccable and pianist Christopher Cooley did an excellent job bringing this new score to life. Director Scott Schwartz made economical use of the minimally decorated stage.

It was refreshing and gratifying to see new opera performed in New Jersey and one hopes that next season will bring more like “The Family Room.”

Ronni Reich: (973) 392-1726; rreich@starledger.com

The Family RoomWhere: McCarter Theatre, 91 University Pl., Princeton. When: July 23 at 2 p.m., July 24 at 7 p.m. How much: $25, call (609) 258-2787 or visit opera-nj.org